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UNITED; STATES PATENT oEEIcE.-

` A. CHRISTIAN, or NEW YORIQN. Y.

BOOKING-HORSE.

Specification of Letters Patent o. 31,;869, dated April 2, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW CHRISTIAN, of New York, in the county and State of York, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in Rocking-Horses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the charactersI of reference marked thereon, 'in which- Figure I, a side elevation of my improvenient in rocking horses; Fig. II, a View of platform upon which the horse is mounted, showingthe mode of attaching the same to its axle; also, ratchet and pawl4 to retain the same in any desired elevation; Fig. III,

a cut section of ratchet wheel and slotted plate employed, attached to axle Fig. IV, a view of the underside of the platform, showing a section of springs, bolted to the same; Fig. V, view `of ratchet wheel and pawl employed; Fig. VI, view of slotted plate employed.

Similar characters of reference in the drawings, indicate like parts of the invention.

The nature of the invention made by me, consists: in the new and improved method of mounting and regulating the position of rocking horses for the use and exercise of children, as hereinafter set forth.-

To enable those skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed to speak of its construction and operation.

A shows. a platform upon which is mounted and attached the horse B.

C, C show scroll-springs bolted to the axle D and attached at their upper projecting ends to the under side ofplatform A, by means of bolts a, a, a, a, or in any other desired manner. i

D is.a n axle, shouldered down or turned at each end, and let into the sides H H of the supporting frame or base, and resting in the boxes J, in the same. Upon one end of the axle D, and on the inside of the supporting frame H, is placed at l the ratchet wheel E and pawl c; while at the other end of said axle D and inside of the supporting frame H is placed at 2 the slotted plate F, lirmly secured to supporting frame H by the bolts G, G in the slots 7i, f lin said plate F, by means of the thumb nuts g, g

I-shows a retaining spring attached at its projecting end to the platform A, while its lower end is bolted to the under side of Mode of mounting--The platform A is bolted at its lower end or base to the scrollsprings C and C and stands at `an angle or radiating position from the axle. D as shown. The said platform A is tapered at its upper or projecting end, to admit of its passage between the two front legs of the horse B be` tween which and to the under side of the body of the horse it is attached, the hind legs of the horse B being secured upon the lower end or broad portion of the platform A, by screws or bolts, as required.

lllodc of regulating-The horse B mounted and attached upon the platform A as shown, can be adjusted to or placed at any desired height, by loosening the thumb-nuts, g, g of the bolts G, G, thereby releasing the slotted plate F attached to the axle D from the side H; said plate and axle, being thus released, the horse B' with its platform A may be readily raised or lowered and held in any required position by means of the ratchet-wheel E with its pawl c, attached to the side H, until the plate F and axle D are secured to the'side H by means of bolts G, G and thumb-nuts g, g, aforesaid.

Adocmmgealst- In the use or employment of the platform A; a more secure and ready method of mounting' rocking horses, is furnished, than in the ordinary method of attaching the springs directly to the hind legs of the horse. Accidents, in the use of the horse attached as first mentioned, are of frequent occurrence, which, by the employment of the platform A are avoided, in that the springs are less apt to get out of order or the legs of the horse to be broken.

In addition any required number of springs may be used to support the platform and a horse of any desired size be placed upon the same.

2nd. In the ordinary method, the axle with its plates, is attached directly to the .sides of the frame and no means of adjust ment are provided. In the present case, the means of adjustment shown, `by which the lhorse and its platform can be readily made to accommodate the weight of a child or grownV person will be found not only essen tial but actually necessary in the case of children of different ages, exercising upon the same, or upon the springs becoming weakened, the horse with its platform can be same shall be used in combination n the kept at any desired altitude. manner and for the purpose set forth and Having thus fully described my nven speeed. tion, what I claim as new and desire to se- A. CHRISTIAN. 5 cure by Letters Patent s. In presence of- The platform A ratchet Wheel E With its A. SIDNEY DOANE, Apztwl e, and the slotted plate F, When the Jol-IN CHRISTIAN. 

